


calm

by keijitrash



Category: Layton Brothers: Mystery Room
Genre: Cigarettes, Friendship, Gen, Secrets, Smoking, Trust, bad habit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-17
Updated: 2019-04-17
Packaged: 2020-01-15 13:06:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18499570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keijitrash/pseuds/keijitrash
Summary: It was the first time Lucy Baker has ever seen Alfendi with a roll of cigarette between his lips.





	calm

Alfendi Layton was seated on his armchair, eyes closed and a serene expression on his face. He placed his lit cigarette back between his lips and inhaled, relishing in the familiar feeling at the back of his throat - an itch, a small burn,  _it didn't bother him anymore unlike his first_  - before blowing out smoke. The smell of tobacco filled his living room and calmed his nerves. It was one of those few days where he had managed to get out of his job in the Yard and  _rest_ ; something he hasn't done in a while now. He sighed, sagging against his chair.

He could just sleep there and then if he could.

A sigh escaped his lips as smoke rolled out from his mouth.

_"Prof... are you smoking?"_

Alfendi froze. His eyes shot open, blinding him momentarily as he adjusted to the bright lighting of the room. He let out a small hiss as he sat up straight and faced his  _unannounced_  guest who was staring at him, blinking, with lips parted into an almost-perfect 'o' shape.

"Lucy?" He groaned - a little annoyed that he was interrupted, but more frustrated that his  _partner_  of all people walked in on him. A small headache had begun, and he could feel the back of his eyes throb. "What are you doing here?"

He stubbed out his cigarette, placing it on the ashtray on the coffee table in front of him.

"I just thowt I'd visit." Lucy told him but her tone didn't match the expression on her face - which was still one filled with shock. "I dint know you smoked."

Alfendi looked at her, trying to think of the right words to say while, at the same time, trying to keep his  _Potty_  self at bay. Lucy Baker didn't need scolding and shouting and reprimanding from his other half; not today, at least. Except it was a little hard not to just let the other personality take over - especially since he was interrupted during a time of peace.

He let out a heavy breath, stretched his arms in front of him, and then said the first thing that popped in his head.

///

"You weren't supposed to."

(Not even Hilda knew about this habit of his, after all.)

///

It was the first time Lucy Baker had ever seen Alfendi with a roll of cigarette between his lips.

The first time she saw smoke put a light haze in the man's living room, the first time she saw a small cloud of smoke come from the Prof, and the first time she knew about the smoking habit. It wasn't really obvious - not when the man usually stayed up beyond office hours in the Mystery Room, hunched over load and loads of paperwork, muttering about how many things he had to get done. She didn't see any traces of him smoking in their office space. The Prof didn't strike her as the type either.

So when she used the spare key to the Prof's loft and was greeted by the sight of him looking peaceful amidst the white smoke, there was a few seconds of silence and processing.

Which was then followed by her closing the door behind her as _gently_ as she could, and then she spoke up.

And then he told her that she wasn't even supposed to know about what he did for a habit.

Lucy's brows scrunched together.

"Wha' do you mean, Prof?"

It wasn't the first time that he gave her a look of frustration, but seeing it again after being partners for a fairly long time – it didn’t feel all too nice.

“It means that it was supposed to be a secret,” his eyes flashed for a split second, and Lucy recognized it as his _Potty_ side trying to take control of the body. She bit her lower lip nervously, watching in silence as the Prof tried to keep his other personality in check.

He sighed.

“Just… Just don’t tell anyone,” he told her with a tone of defeat.

Lucy blinked.

 _‘Why would I?’_ she wanted to retort, but bit back the words that tried to escape her mouth. The Prof did not look like he was in the mood for it.

“Or better yet,” his voice deepened and had turned rough – _Potty had taken control_ – and his eyes glinted in a way she still could never tell. “Just forget you ever saw it happen.”

///

“I hope you don’t believe ah’m t’ type to spill secrets.”

She met his gaze.

( _Trust me_ , she wanted to tell him then.)

///

It’s been a week since what Alfendi liked to call _Lucy’s Unannounced Visit_ when the aforementioned woman strolled inside the Mystery Room in her usual cheery self. She greeted him a _gran’ morning_ , with a big grin adorning her face, as she went ahead and made them both a cup of tea.

“Did you stay late again, Prof?” she asked while placing his steaming mug of tea on the one empty spot she found on his desk cluttered with paperwork. He hummed in reply as he continued to work, pen in one hand.  

In all honesty, he didn’t know what she was trying to do. Not once, since then, did she ask him _anything_ about his habit – she didn’t even mention it in passing _at all_. As good as it was to know that she was most likely not spilling anything to co-workers or worse, his sister, it was still unbecoming of her to stay mum about something like him secretly smoking with only her as the one person who knew about it. Sometimes a part of his brain would wonder if she was waiting for the right time to blackmail him.

 _She would not,_ the Placid side would argue whenever the though crossed his mind.

///

Lucy glanced at the Prof and noticed the contemplative look on his face. She wondered, for a moment, if he was thinking of how strange she had been for the past few days.

He probably was.

(He would just never admit it.)

///

“You know I dint tell a soul,” Lucy told him as she took her seat on the single couch she had long since claimed her own, “I wouldn’t. ‘s your secret ta tell.”

The Prof looked up from his paperwork and their eyes met – not briefly unlike before. He held her gaze, with lips pursed together, trying to form the right words to respond with as the two personalities clashed.

“A’ least av some faith on me,” she said, and though her tone was teasing, it looked like the man didn’t take it as lightheartedly as she wanted him to.

It was a few second later when the Prof let out a breath.

“Alright,” he said, “I guess I’ll have to.”

Lucy tilted her head to the side in askance.

///

_“I trust you.”_

///

Sometimes, Lucy would enter the Prof’s loft and smell the scent of tobacco wafting in the air. She wasn’t particularly fond of the smell, but never voiced out her complains. People had their way with things – and she didn’t really want to judge the Prof or his habits. Whenever she dropped by, he would notice her presence immediately every time she entered, and would greet her with a lazy wave of his free hand. She would chirp a greeting of her own and do whatever it was that she came to do.

This had become their normal.

And for Alfendi Layton, it was good.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Alfendi does _not_ smoke in canon!! This was just a random one-shot I thought of in the middle of writing something else and voila! I hope you enjoyed even if it's pretty short ❤


End file.
